David Rodriguez: Some Americans had to fight extra hard for their freedoms
Many people of different colors celebrated the Fourth of July, mainly to be with family and friends, barbecue and to enjoy beautiful displays of fireworks. Some, though, had mixed emotions because of the dark history of this country and the strain of division this country is going through today.
The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, establishing our right to become a free country. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal ...” the founders wrote. Yet, 12 presidents owned slaves, eight while in office.
Eighty-seven years later, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863 by President Lincoln. Still, to this day, black communities are denied civil rights in some areas of this country. A part of the 14th Amendment, which took effect in 1868, provides that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction “the equal protection of the laws.”
We are still a great country. We are the melting pot of the world, all of us descendants of immigrants. We are all Americans, regardless of the color of our skin.
David Rodriguez, Planada
This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 1:02 PM with the headline "David Rodriguez: Some Americans had to fight extra hard for their freedoms."